Maternal Instincts
by writergirl97
Summary: Baby's are sometimes just too much-Or maybe not enough.


**A/N: Saultations! How are you all on this fine Easter morning? I am fine! Thank you for worrying xP But again, I don't own Phil, Sophie or Zach. But I _do_ own Sarah, James and Lexii! WOOT! OWNAGE!**

**And I came up with the idea of this yesterday at my cousin Gavin's 5 year old birthday. Inspiration: Syrena, my neice that freakin' ADORED me. She's a small babe who was all tears and fuss until I held her and 'shh shh shhhhhh'ed her into quiet awe. And then THIS was born! Can't you tell it came off notes from my iPod? xD**

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"Alright, here he is. Support his head, I just fed him so he's gonna need to be burped and I think he might be wet so you better check, okay?" The new mother was fussing as she handed over her first born son to his sometimes incompetent father.

"It's _alright_, Sarah. James'll be fine." Phil rolled his mint green eyes at his obsessive wife as she paced back and forth in front of him and the bedroom door.

"W-well, I know. It's just that... You really haven't been with a baby with out someone else around to help you."

"Zach and Pam will be here in a few hours. It's alright. Now go ahead! You deserve a relaxing day at the spa." Philip Shortman leaned in and kissed his lover on the mouth for a moment until the one month old started squirming in his arms with a cry.

James Matthew Shortman was glaring at his parents for not giving him the ample amount of attention he rightly deserved. His baby blue eyes were already hinting at its future color being green, and his round, soft face was topped with a swath of black curly hair.

"Daw, hey baby. How are you? Mommy has to go for a lil while, okay? Be nice for daddy! I love you!" Sarah cooed as she glomped her child, then pecked her husband on the cheek and moved past them to get to the front door. With keys in hand, she paused at the door way and glanced behind her uncertainly. Philip was standing back with the light blue bundle in his arms. He smiled and untangled the child's arm out of the blankie to wave his mother goodbye. She smiled shakily and turned out the door. When it slammed shut behind her, she breathed deeply. There was a slight sharpness in the air that accompanied the deep chill and Sarah knew that although it was late November, snow was definitely on the way.

It's been too long since she stepped out side of the house, let alone with out the child in tow. It _was_ going to be a relief to be rubbed relaxed.

~HA!~HA!~HA!~

It's been ten minutes and already this day was hell. Phil was swaying, rocking and cooing the screaming child to no avail. The father placed the baby in the carrier to pull back and run his hands worriedly through his hair. How in god's name Sarah could handle this, this *thing* day after day was beyond him.

Phil reached over to caress the boy, hoping it would soothe him when he realized he was murmuring in baby talk.

"Shh, baby, shh. It's gonna be _al_right, _o_kay. You're fine. I'm here, don't worry. Do you need to be changed...? No? Do you want a ba-ba?" Phil scramble to get a ba-ba for James, but when he put it near his mouth, the babe only cried louder. "Crimeny, kid!"

Shortman slouched on the floor in defeat when he heard a long, loud fart above him and then silence. His head perked and his eyes were wide. Could it be...?

He turned and popped up to look suspiciously at his child who looked at him innocently. "I swear to God you are the anti-Christ." He growled but gave off a happy exterior so as not to scare the little baby. Who just so happen to laugh hysterically at his father.

"I'll take that as your agreement." The emerald eyes were rolled as James was picked up and then cradled. "C'mon baby from hell that is obviously my spawn," Phil turned and started toward the TV room, "let's watch a movie your daddy made."

He strode into the room, adjusted some pillows on the couch and plopped his son down in the middle of it. The relatively tall 23 year old swiveled toward his entertainment systems and turned on his flat screen TV with a bit of pride. Then he squatted down and turned on the DVD player. He reached for the DVD case and flipped through the movies that he has directed, produced and some times starred in to finally decide on the one that was most child friendly. He went to sit beside his baby when the movie started and soon enough, both boys were fast asleep.

~HA!~HA!~HA!~

Faintly, Phil heard giggling. The sound became clearer as he finally came to his senses. Warm-ness had engulfed the young father as he snuggled up against something fuzzy and he felt at ease. That was, until, he heard the distinct click of a camera. His shocked green eyes flew open to see his oldest brother grinning at him with his wife's Kodak camera in his had pointed at none other than Phil himself. Zachary was enjoying himself immensely while his brother glared at him relentlessly.

"You mother-fu-"

"Be nice, a baby's in the room!" Pamella Shortman scolded her brother-in-law before he could fully cuss out her husband in front of his and their children. Her gaze then returned to one of the most beautiful babies she has ever really seen. He had his mother's mop of hair and his daddy's mischievous nature. Looking into his eyes, Pam completely fawned over the boy when he did a little spit bubble and smiled up at her proudly with a dimple on the left cheek. Her own daughter had giggled every time her cousin had done something cute like this and Pam was too happy for her introverted daughter to actually get out of her shell a little bit.

"Oh, Zach! Can we have another one?" She sighed and glanced up at her now surprised husband. He had been in the middle of silently fighting his brother when her question pierced the air.

Startled blue eyes flew up to meet hers and he gulped. "A-another one? But isn't Lexii enough?"

"Mommy...?" A soft, shy, shaky voice questioned with sad blue eyes and strawberry red hair. "Am I not good enough?" Huge tears welled and poured down her face like rivulets.

"Oh, no, no sweetie! You're perfect!" Pamella sent a fleeting glare at her husband and then brushed her daughter's tears out of her eyes. "But don't you want a pretty little brother or sister around, like James?"

Fervently, the three year old nodded and ran over to her father. "Daddy! I need a little sister _now_!" The little girl had said it with such conviction, her father and uncle couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"I'll think about it, Lex." Zachary ruffled her feathery hair and she smiled and ran to her mother to fuss over the baby again.

"Another kid...? I could barely handle this one!" Phillip rolled his eyes and Zach smiled.

"Yeah, they're a handful, but you have to love them. I know the girls do." Zach rolled his eyes and the Shortman brothers laughed at that. "Now, Philly cheese-steak, are you going to want another kid later on?" Phil scowled at the old nickname and bit back his rude comment about something that his brother could suck.

"I don't think I'd want one. I mean, cut off from sex for nine months or longer? No thank you. And plus, at night, _they do not shut up_." The younger of the brothers gritted his teeth and was about to add something else when the front door opened and in ran a golden eyed mother to scoop up her baby in her arms.

"Sarah?" Phil asked shocked, as everyone sat on end and watched as said woman rocked and cuddle her son. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the spa?"

"Well, yeah. I guess. But I missed you and him too much. So I came straight home.…" Her voice lowered and she added, "After a good few hours of massaging."

Her nose rubbed affectionately against her baby, her first-born son when with tears in her eyes she turned and exclaimed, "Oh, Phil! Can we have another one?"


End file.
